Free Fall
by wearegliding5683
Summary: What happens when portals appear in Ylisse, Nohr, and Hoshido? Obviously people end up falling through them into a completely new world. Will these ten characters find a way to come together in order to return to their homeland, or will their differences be too much for them to handle?
1. Through the Portal

Hello and welcome to my newest story, first ever Fire Emblem story, Free Fall. I started playing around with this idea in my head since I played the DLC "Before Awakening". That being said, this story is going to be slightly AU from the games. There are just a few things I want to say before you get to reading what is really more of a prologue than a first chapter. Since I can only list four characters involved, I want to let you know that this story is mostly going to focus on ten different characters from Awakening, Birthright, and Conquest. I'm not going to tell you which ten they are, but you'll know who they are by the end of this chapter. As for story timelines, I'm writing this after the main storyline of Awakening has finished, though Chrom hasn't technically married. Awakening is also a bit AU because I'm going to say that most characters haven't gotten married, so children are kind of the only ones that know who their father is as the children have come back from the future. So, Lucina knows who her mother and father are, but in this story, Chrom still has not married her mother. This is mostly because I'm not sure what I'm doing with pairings or just how big romance of any sort will play in this story. Birthright and Conquest have not occurred in this storyline, so basically the two kingdoms hate each other, but the things with Corrin have not gone down. I hope that all makes sense and is not super confusing. Oh, and I know that some DLC explain certain pasts, I'm just disregarding most of those, specifically Hidden Truths. The last thing I think is important to mention up front is that I've partly saying this is AU because I have only played Awakening and Fates. There may be some deep lore things that I kind of go against in this story, if that happens, I'm sorry. I'm going to try to read through wiki pages and that jazz, but I just want to let you know that I might stray away from some of the lore of the games, other than the two I have played.

I do sometimes have trouble sticking a character's voice, especially when they aren't my original creation. I'm going to try and work on getting them right, but it might take a little while to really find each one in my writing. So, I apologize if you feel that any of the characters are way too out of character, I'm doing my best to work on character voice.

One other thing, I am in college right now. I graduate in less than two months, which is exciting. It, however, also means that I have a lot of work to do in said less than two months. This is important as I do not intend to edit most of my chapters written during that time. There will probably be grammar and spelling mistakes scattered throughout. I realize that, and I will do my best to keep them to a minimum. I just want to give you a heads up that things might not be super clean as I am mostly writing right now for stress relief and fun. Once I graduate, I am much more likely to thoroughly read through these chapters for mistakes.

I do not own Fire Emblem, all rights go to those who created/own it.

* * *

"What are these things? And where did they come from?" the exalt's hand gripped tightly around the hilt of Falchion. He couldn't believe his eyes. After all his troops went through, he thought the war was finally over. Yet, as he gazed down from the raised ground, he could see the creatures spilling in.

"From the future?" Lucina asked, sounding uncertain. She had hoped that their fighting would stop the world she'd arrived from. Even seeing the portal the creatures were coming in from, she held a hope that there was a new possibility.

"It doesn't matter," Chrom decided, unsheathing his weapon. He lifted the blade and pointed it in the direction of the portal. "Shepherds, push back these fiends!"

His soldiers spread out; rushing down the hill they'd situated themselves on, engaging with their newest enemy.

They were awoken early in the morning with screams echoing from the capital city. The streets were filled with citizens begging for the shepherds to arrive with hast to the borders. When they reached what was once an open field full of flowing grass and wild flowers, they found a portal and monstrous creatures they'd never seen before. There was little time to plan an attack, it didn't help that they were recently down a tactician. Instead, they rounded up together, planning to push back as many creatures as possible. Chrom only hoped that once they'd pushed them back towards the portal, the mages in his army would be able to do something about the portal itself, preferably close it.

Slashing through the air, Chrom led the attack. Each time his sword ripped through a creature, another seemed to take its place. It was as though they were multiplying, and the army would never make it through all of them.

"Sir!" he heard from above him. He looked up to find Cordelia, Sumia, and Cherche all flying above him on their mounts. It was Cordelia calling out to him, her lance in hand. "We'll fly ahead!"

"Be careful!" he called up to them, and received a small gesture to show that they'd heard him. While he feared for them, he could spend little time focusing on them as he had his own problems to face.

At first glance, the creatures looked as though they were simply common animals, but with further inspection, held the same aura as the Risen that'd arrived alongside Lucina. Now, a group of them were circling Chrom, waiting for the right moment to ambush him in an attack. He turned, attempting to keep an eye on each of them, readying himself for the lunge.

He heard one behind him spring forward, turning on his heel, he whipped Falchion through the air. When his blade made contact with the creature, it disintegrated into dust. With a pivot, he swung back around jabbing his sword forward into the belly of a bear-like creature. The sheer number of enemies was overwhelming him as his mind went into autopilot, slashing to keep up with the onslaught of creatures.

"Chrom!" a voice he rarely heard hollered, as the Chon'sin-born man swept into the center of the battle. When Basilio had first introduced Chrom to the man, he wasn't sure he wanted him in his army. It wasn't that he didn't trust the warrior, but his unease with the women shepherds caused a bit of a fuss at first. It took some getting used to, but for the most part, they were all handling each other well. Now, as he stared down the creatures, he was grateful to have Lon'qu on his side.

Standing back to back, the two began taking down a number of the creatures, actually managing to make a slow headway towards the portal. The rift shone of a bright white light in an oval shape, much like that which Lucina had come through years before. The closer that he got to the portal, the harder it was for him to look directly at it. Instead, he focused on the creatures still pouring out from it, instantly attempting to attack anything in sight. As the numbers in front of them began to dwindle, he caught sight of the fliers ahead, even closer to the portal. Cordelia and Cherche were rushing at the creatures, taking them down with ease while Sumia backed them up.

"Sumia, Cordelia, fall back!" Chrom ordered, pointing back towards where they came from. "Bring Tharja and Miriel to the portal!"

With he and Lon'qu forming a small clearing near the portal, he believed that the mages would be able to find someway to close the portal. He could feel his muscles beginning to strain under the pressure of fighting, and Frederick calling out somewhere on the battlefield. Everything was either coming together or falling apart, and he couldn't tell which one it was.

As the Pegasus riders descended to the earth, Tharja and Miriel dropped down into the mud building up from trampling hooves and feet. By the time they were on the ground, Sumia and Cordelia were already in the air again.

"Can you close it?" Chrom asked, not stepping away from the battle as the creatures continued to lunge at them.

Miriel's index finger rested on her chin, as she considered if they would be able to get the job done. Tharja, on the other hand, was staring quite amused out to the battlefield. The dark mage was another person he questioned at times, wondering if the shepherds were truly the proper place for her, but he believed in trusting people, and gave her the benefit of a doubt. As the first mage lifted a large tome she'd brought with her, the second finally pulled her attention towards the portal.

Tharja gave it a look over before letting out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "I suppose."

Chrom nodded his head, noticing that his distraction away from the fight was causing a build up of creatures on Lon'qu. "We'll keep them away from you," he told the mages before rushing back into the fray. While he was focused on hacking each creature the rampaged towards him or the mages, he could hear their voices rising with incantation.

A cry from the sky caused Chrom to take pause. He watched as a flock of birds rushed at Sumia. His first thought was to reach her, aid her in any way possible. That was, however, harder to actually be done from the ground. The only peace of mind that came to him was seeing that Cherche and Cordelia were already taking care of the matter. Unfortunately, his hopeful mood was short lived.

He didn't even hear Lon'qu's voice until it was too late. A glimpse of a boar-like creature charging towards him caused his heart to begin racing. Lon'qu shoved him backwards, taking the full tackle of the creature as he fell back. Chrom watched in desperation, unable to stop it all from happening, as his soldier was flung back towards the portal.

It all happened so fast, Chrom wasn't even sure he could explain how or when each event occurred. He could remember the call of Cherche's voice, ordering her wyvern around. The attempt of stopping Lon'qu from hitting the portal, but the momentum threw them both into the portal. Without a thought, Chrom forced himself to his feet, running as fast as possible after his shepherds. He could hear the call of a voice, Sumia or perhaps Cordelia, behind him. And then, everything went black.

* * *

"Elise, we aren't playing games," Leo called out, warning his younger sister. When she didn't reappear, he considered what other leverage could be used in such a time to get her to listen. "If you misbehave, Xander will not allow you to accompany us to visit Corrin."

At that, his sister's head popped out from behind a tree, her hair dangling towards the ground. She puffed out her cheeks, giving him a displeased look. "That's not funny, Leo."

"I wasn't joking. A bad report will ensure that you get left at home this time," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Nothing could put a smile on Leo's face faster than seeing his younger sister cheerfully dancing about, well perhaps a compliment from his older siblings, but he preferred she didn't when they were handed a specific mission. "Come, get back on your mount. We just have to survey the last of this section before returning back to the castle."

Ever since he was a child, Leo spent a great deal of time in the Woods of the Forlorn. It was part of being a member of royalty in Nohr, as his brother often took him out to the woods to train. Even after Xander's responsibilities doubled and he had less time to spend with Leo, the dark mage found the woods to be the most secluded place to practice his skills in. As expected, he often brought Elise out to the woods when she was young, attempting to teach her what Xander had once taught him, that there was nothing to fear within the woods of their homeland. Only, it seemed to backfire on him, as now Elise often wished to play out in the woods, not what the ventures were originally intended to be about.

"Father said that we could go see Corrin tomorrow, right? I can't wait to see him!" Elise giggled as she pulled herself onto her mount. "I'm going to tell him all about the training I've been doing. I bet he'll be really proud!"

And there it was. Corrin, the most treasured of the five siblings. He was kept away from the rest of them, hidden in the Northern Fortress away from the world. Their older siblings spent a most of their time training and dotting on him. Even Elise looked up to him for his approval. Leo couldn't help but find himself resentful of his brother.

"Let's just focus on this first," Leo said, pulling the reins of his horse in order to move in the direction of their last location.

Word had gotten to their father, King Garon, that there were strange creatures coming through the Woods of the Forlorn. He'd sent out his children to check over the land, find out what the problem was. From inside of the woods, they had all split up, Leo taking Elise with him. Their retainers were also about in the forest, though they'd lost them rather quickly. It was the downside of being on horseback; it was rather frustrating to go so slowly, but too easy to lose those you traveled with.

The horses trotted down a small path forged from constant travels, and Leo kept his eyes peeled for any unusual sights. He'd doubted that they would find any problems as his father had expected, assuming that the creatures were the mistake of some over zealous mage.

That was, until his sister pointed out, "Look, is that Selena?" His eyes followed her finger that was pointing further into the woods than he was expecting for them to go. It was hard to get a clear sight of her, but from the vibrant red hair, he could only assume his sister was right.

Yet, it wasn't the girl that caught his attention. Instead, it was the blinding light coming from her direction. With the light shining out into the forest, he could barely see what his older sister's retainer was doing. "Elise, stay back here," he commanded, though didn't stop her when she disobeyed his command.

Without a word, he slipped out his tome, preparing for what might come. He knew that Camilla trusted the woman, but he was not so quick to agree. Not in the least amount because she showed up out of nowhere, not even knowing where to claim where she came from. Her fighting style was nothing that he had ever seen before, and to him seemed more similar to Hoshidan fighting than Nohrian. But, he could not stop his sister from making her own decisions. Which was why, for the most part, he put up with such a soldier fighting beside him.

"Selena?" he called, when he was in clear sight of her.

The mercenary jumped, as though she hadn't expected anyone to find her out in the woods. When she turned around, her hand was already grabbing for the hilt of her sword, as though she expected a fight as much as Leo did. He studied her, trying to take in the look that was plastered on her face. His little trust in her was dwindling by the minute.

"Prince Leo?" she asked, shaking her head, as she seemed to be forcing herself in the moment. "I got a little turned around, and then I found this out here. I was just about to try and find Prince Xander or Princess Camilla to inform them of my findings."

His eyes narrowed, distrusting the words that spilled from the woman's mouth. From what he could tell, she had, had no intention of seeking out her liege. His fingers traced the cover of his tome as he considered what options he had. While his focus was on the retainer, he couldn't stop his eyes from glancing to the portal she was standing in front of. Where had it come from? Better yet, where did it go to?

"Leo, what is that?" Elise asked, passing by him.

He wanted to grab his sister, stop her from interfering with the conversation, but it was too late, she was already out of arm's reach. It broke the conversation away from what Selena was doing out in the woods by herself.

"Elise, don't go close. We don't know what it is," he ordered, glad that this time she listened to him.

He opened his tome, the thought of attacking the retainer still on his mind, but he pushed it out as he thought of attempting to break the portal with his powers. At the least, no harm could happen in attempting to get rid of the portal, right? He lifted his hand, ready to cast a spell, when a creature sprang forth from the portal.

It vaulted forward, shoving hard into Selena's back. The retainer hit the ground with a slam. With a wave of his hand, a wooden branch flew out of the ground, tearing through the creature and sending it up in dust. Only, the excitement of the attack sent Elise's horse into a panic, rearing back on its hind legs.

"Elise, get control over your steed," Leo said, forcing his own horse forward to attempt to calm it down.

"I'm trying!" she said, pulling on the reins, which was doing nothing. When the horse landed back down on all fours, it started in a gallop, directly for the portal.

Leo's own horse jumped over the retainer on the ground, flying at the bright light after his dear sister.

"No!" Selena yelled, but she could not stop him from going into the portal.

He would not allow danger to come to his sister, even if he wasn't the one she looked up to the most.

* * *

"Lord Ryoma," a navy blue haired woman said, giving a small curtsy to the prince. In her hands, he could see a bundle of what he could only assume was clothing. Since she first joined the royal army, it was clear that her talents were not limited to the battlefield. She had a gentle hand for clothing, brought on by her family's talent in kimono making.

Ryoma nodded his head, letting her know she was allowed to approach him. When she reached his side, she passed the bundle out to him. Quickly, he opened the outer cloth and held up the ceremonial wear. It was just as he'd requested, the Queen's birthday was approaching, and he needed a new outfit for formal events.

"It is perfect, Oboro." Ryoma gave her a nod of approval.

He could see the tension leave her face when she sat how much he appreciated her willingness to make his wear. He hadn't considered much of how she would feel knowing there was pressure on her to make the heir apparent new clothing.

"What a relief," Oboro said, a hand over her heart. Though, she glanced over her shoulder, staring at the tree line.

"Don't mind him," Ryoma said, knowing that she was sensing the eyes watching them. Ryoma could never say why Saizo chose any given time to make himself aware to others. It wasn't for the fact that Oboro needed to be watched over, as she was a trusted retainer of his brother. At least, Ryoma trusted her.

They were standing just outside of Castle Shirasagi, with little room between the castle walls and the line of trees. At the tree line, the ground began falling at a steep decline. It was not the safest place to sit out, but it was the location that Ryoma highly preferred. He could see the entire capital city from where he sat, and could watch the wind bustle through the trees.

"I should get back to Lord Takumi," Oboro said, giving another small curtsy to the elder prince.

"Yes, of course," Ryoma said, rising from his seated position. "I should take this inside as well. I wouldn't want it to be ruined from the weather, not after all of the work you put into it."

A flush of red covered Oboro's face, not so much out of desire but out of embarrassment of compliments. Ryoma had noticed that whenever she aided any of the royal family in their fashion woes, her least favorite part was the compliments and gratitude sent in her direction. It was as though she simply did not know how to respond to such comments.

"It was truly nothing, my lord," Oboro reconfirmed.

"No need to be so shy about it. Your skill is unmatched inside this castle," Ryoma said, wondering what it was that made Oboro so uncomfortable about her skills. As though people in Hoshido didn't expect so much from her, despite her parents clear ties to the royal family and clothes making. If she had not come from a family of kimono makers, he would understand it, but not from Oboro who had.

A wind began to pick up, there to remind Hoshido that the winter cold was coming. Without his heavy armor, the air easily moved through Ryoma's clothing and chilled him down to the bone.

"Saizo, are you going to join us?" Ryoma gave a look to the tree line where his retainer was hiding. It took almost an entire year for Ryoma to get used to being watched at all times, even with the fact that he almost never knew when Saizo was actually watching him. It was part of having two ninjas as retainers. They were sly, which benefited them in battle, but also meant that he could not always tell where they were. So, for the most part, he just always assumed they were nearby.

With a heavy gust of wind, Ryoma felt the bundle of clothing slide from his hands. He reached out, grabbing for it before it could fly away from him, but to no luck. Instantly, he scolded himself for his loose grip. Stepping forward, after the clothes, he grabbed the hakama, but the wind picked up once more throwing the haori into the trees.

"Lord Ryoma, I can make another," Oboro said, catching up to him as he reached the tree line.

"No, I'll get it," Ryoma said, insistent. He didn't want to force Takumi's retainer to waste more time on him. He'd already forced her to create completely new formal attire for him, and did not wish to force her to do it all over again, especially when it was his mistake.

He was about to step down, over the edge, when his own retainer dropped down from the branches. "Lord Ryoma, allow me," Saizo said. He was a man of little words, often preferring to simply take action to explaining himself.

"There is nothing to worry about, Saizo. Hold this," Ryoma said, stepping past his retainer as he handed him the hakama. He let gravity take over, sliding him down the hill. As he reached the branch that the kimono fell onto, he grabbed onto the trunk of the tree. Pulling lightly on the cloth, he managed to get it untangled and back into his possession.

That's when it caught his eye. He hadn't noticed the gleaming portal tucked away in the trees. Staring at it now, he felt almost entranced by the light. Where had it come from? He held the haori in his hand, but let himself slide down the hill towards the portal.

"Lord Ryoma?" he could hear the concern in his retainer's voice, not something the man often let show through.

"I found something," he hollered back up. "It looks like a portal."

"A portal?" it was Oboro's turn to sound worried.

"Lord Ryoma, come back up here. Kagero and I will inspect it," Saizo said, attempting to be a voice of reason.

For a second, Ryoma considered stepping forward, entering the portal. Yet, his better judgment stopped him, causing him to turn around and face his and his brother's retainers. The walk back up the hill would be slightly harder than going down, as it looked steeper from below than it did from above. Stepping one foot forward, he moved to start the long, tedious hike back up, when he felt his foot slide against the slick grass. His hand reached out for a branch or trunk, but as he landed on his forearms, he could feel his feet already falling into the portal.

The last thing he saw, just before he was enveloped in the light, was Saizo grabbing Oboro's arm and tugging her down the hill. A sinking feeling began to fill his stomach.


	2. Lost

Welcome to chapter two! I probably should be working on homework, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted these scenes to be in chapter one, but then I realized that would be a bit much. Though, you shouldn't expect most chapters to come out this quickly normally. I don't think I have a whole lot to say before this, especially since I threw that long introduction at the start of the first chapter. So, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you like or what can be worked on. I love to hear back from readers.

* * *

Purple. The walls of her castle bedroom were dark purple with large expansive windows showing out to the courtyard. It was the least extravagant bedroom compared to her siblings, but she didn't mind it. It was exactly what she wanted. With a knock from the door, Elise sat up. Her bed was warm, comforters and furs covering her small, thin frame. The cool air pouring in ran a chill down her back. As the door opened, she sensed that it was her brother, not Xander but Leo. He was always there to tuck her in at night and check in on her during the day. Even despite his occasional snarky attitude, she knew she could always rely on him.

Yet, as the door clicked open, so did her mind. Instead of the familiar walls of her room, dark, secretive trees whistling in the wind surrounded her. She could see the first light of morning trickling through the leaves and branches. As she sat up, her body became aware of the crackling fire burning feet away. A tattered, white and blue cape rested over her chest, helping keep in the warm air. Where was she?

"You're awake," she turned in the direction of the voice. A man, whom she'd never seen before, was sitting on the other side of the fire.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Elise asked, her voice shaking with fear. She reached out for her staff that was laying a few feet away. She'd hoped when her hand grasped the cylindrical metal stave a sense of relief would rush over her, she was wrong. There was still an unease crashing through her insides, begging the question of where she was and whom she was with.

The man held up both of his hands, clearly trying to suggest that he was nothing to fear. No harm would come to her by his hands. She didn't trust him.

"My name is Chrom. I'm the captain of the shepherds and exalt of Ylisse," he introduced himself.

Shepherds? Exalt? Ylisse? She'd never heard of those words used in such a manner. Her hand tightened around her staff, doubting that she could put up a fight against this so called captain and exalt. The one open arm of his outfit showed his muscular features, as compared to her rather weak body.

With few options to go at, she figured that introducing herself couldn't hurt much. "My name is Elise. I am the youngest princess of Nohr, and if you think that kidnapping me will get you anything but dead, you'd be wrong," she said, attempting to exude confidence. Her mind flashed to her brother, the mission they were on before she blacked out. "My brother Leo will be here any moment, and he will want answers."

With the thought of Leo, she glanced around the forest. Surely, he was on his way to find her. They couldn't have been separated too far into the woods, but then again, she didn't recognize these trees. Yet, they had to be inside of the Woods of the Forlorn, right?

"Kidnap?" Chrom asked, his hands shaking in front of him, "Gods, no. I would never."

"Then why are you here? Where is my brother? Where's my horse?" Elise asked, finally coming to enough in order to see the situation at hand. The memories were beginning to flood back, seeing Selena by the bright doorway. She remembered that thing running through the portal, and her horse panicking. She ended up galloping directly towards the portal, and then she remembered nothing else.

The man pointed farther into the woods, where a branch hung low enough for the reins to be tied up. Elise got to her feet, dropping the cape onto the ground. She stepped closer to her steed. She'd ridden the same horse since she was a girl. At the time it was a much smaller pony, but Xander had said it fit perfectly for her. They'd grown to understand one another on a battlefield. Reaching up, she rubbed the face with her hand letting her know everything was going to be fine, even if she didn't truly believe it at the moment.

"You said you're from Nohr, right?" Chrom asked, he'd gotten up as well but kept his distance.

"Yes, Nohr. King Garon is my father," Elise said, as though it was common knowledge that the other should know. Then again, he'd had the same tone when mentioning Ylisse, and she had never heard of it. "Have you heard of Nohr?"

"Yes, I believe so," he said, though a line began to form on his forehead. It was as though he was running through the likelihood of something being true.

"That's great!" Elise said, a glimmer of hope running through her mind. If he knew of Nohr, they could find their way back to the kingdom. When they arrived, she could tell her father of his help, and surely the king would aid him in returning to Ylisse.

"No, it's not," Chrom said. He let out an unsteady sigh, resting his right hand on his hip. "The Nohr that I know of is only a mythical kingdom of fairytale. One that all children in Ylisse are told of."

"Mythical kingdom?" Elise was positive that her confusion shown through. She'd never heard Nohr be referred to as mythical, and who told stories about it to their children? The stories she heard of were of mighty warriors and valiant princesses. All stories that Xander, Camilla, and Leo had told her growing up.

She thought of asking him what exactly he meant, when a heavy footstep drew their attention away from each other. It sounded of hooves on the ground, rushing in their direction. Her hands began to tremble. She'd been on the battlefield before, but never without her siblings or at least her retainers. Luckily, Chrom moved quickly. He untied the reins of her horse and passed them over to her. It felt natural climbing onto the saddle, slipping back towards the clearing she'd awoken in.

"Stay behind me," he ordered. He slipped a shield onto his left forearm and hoisted a sword into his right hand.

As the wild boars stampeded towards them, he prepared for the attack, raising his sword high and slashing through the air. It was only then that Elise found herself clenching tightly onto her staff not in fear of the man, but in hope that he may succeed, for both their sakes.

* * *

"Why are you looking at me like that?" a scowling man asked, as he stared at Oboro.

"You're one to talk," she said, giving him a look over. His clothing didn't especially look Nohrian-like, but the fact that she could not place him at all either put her on edge. Incidentally, her face went into a grimace automatically, and now she was unable to force it back to normal. "Why are _you_ looking at me like that?"

"You're a woman," he said, grimly.

What? Oboro had never met anyone who gave such a reason for scowling at another person. Even Saizo could handle himself around women, and he was the most vulgar person that she knew. After all, he was the one that'd dragged her down the hill and into the portal.

"Do you have a problem with women?" Oboro asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," the man said.

He was actually beginning to remind her of the ninja. Perhaps they would get along well? She would have to wait to find out. The moment that Saizo came to, he decided to go venturing around the open expanse of rapidly burning sand that they found themselves in. She was left to watch over the stranger that was passed out near them. She didn't particularly enjoy the job.

The sun was beginning to rise, filling the sky with a pink tint. For the time being, it was actually kind of beautiful, but Oboro knew better than that. Soon, it the heat would be too much to handle. They would likely dehydrate within hours. For as far as her eyes could see, there was nothing but desert, which meant that that Saizo was unlikely to find anything of use to them.

As if on cue, as Saizo so often seemed to be, he sat down in the sand beside Oboro. She could not read the look on his face, but if she had to guess his mood, he was not pleased with their situation. Then again, she could have told him that rushing head first into the portal was not the most well thought out plan of action. She thought of telling him that, but knew that if it had not been Ryoma but Takumi, she would have done the same. So, she kept her mouth shut.

Her face even slightly settled as he sat down beside her, even if Saizo wasn't exactly the first person she would want to be lost in a desert with.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Saizo asked, getting straight to the point.

The other man seemed to be trying to size the two of them up. She'd moved the sword lying near him farther away, to avoid any unfair attacks. Saizo was guarding his liege when they went through the portal, so he had his shuriken with him. She, on the other hand, was sewing clothing and hadn't had her naginata on hand. Which only added another reason she was not so pleased with being forced through the portal.

"I am Lon'qu. I hail from Regna Ferox, but I fell through the portal in Ylisse."

Oboro glanced towards Saizo, giving him a clear look that she had no idea what he was talking about. The ninja kept his emotions at a neutral-even that she came to expect from him.

"I am Saizo the Fifth, retainer of Lord Ryoma of Hoshido," Saizo introduced himself before giving a look at Oboro.

She grumbled under her breath. Saizo wasn't there earlier, when the man first woke up. He hadn't seen the full out scowl on his face when she tried to help him up. Being kind, or even civil, with the stranger was beginning to grow difficult. Alas, it seemed as though they would be together for some time, until they could find their way out of the desert, so causing a fight on the first morning did not seem the most intelligent of ideas.

"Oboro, retainer of Lord Takumi of Hoshido," she said, keeping it quick and to the point.

"Hoshido?" Lon'qu asked. His already suspicious look grew even more questionable, as though he didn't believe what he was hearing.

"Is that a problem?" Oboro asked, the sneer on her face growing colder once more. She truly couldn't control it. She couldn't be a ninja, for she could not stop her feelings from showing on her face.

Lon'qu shook his head, "It must be a different Hoshido."

"Now that, that is done, we must begin searching for my liege. He fell through the portal just before us," Saizo said, standing. He was determined to get their hunt for Lord Ryoma underway, despite the fact that none of them seemed to have a true plan of action. Then again, that didn't seem to stop Saizo before.

"Give me my sword back," Lon'qu said, holding out his hand. He'd demanded it back before, when it was the two of them sitting across from each other, glaring.

She'd thought it only fair. If he tried to attack her, she would have had an even chance of taking him down as he her. With the sword, she would have been easily overpowered without her own weapon. Even with Saizo beside her, she didn't feel completely comfortable with the stranger having his blade. She was completely defenseless against him. Yet again, the thought of remaining peaceful enough passed through her thoughts. She picked up the sword back ten feet behind her, where she had stuck most of the blade into the sand to hide it.

Walking back to where they were all now standing, Lon'qu raised his hand. "Come no closer. Put it in the sand, and I will retrieve it from there."

Oboro stabbed the sword into the ground, taking an extra second to make eye contact with the man before backing up enough for him to take his sword back. She watched as he swung it around a couple of times for feel before placing it back in its sheath. She had a feeling that her face would not settle for a long time with him around.

"I walked a few miles in that direction this morning. I could see nothing beyond the desert as far as I went. We will have to pick a direction and begin walking for as long as possible." Saizo informed them, seemingly taking the lead.

"What about water?" Oboro asked, pointing out the fault in his loyal search for Ryoma. "We won't last long without water in the middle of the desert."

Saizo took a deep breath, as though weighing a heavy burden on his mind. Finally, he pulled out a small canteen from within his bundles of clothing. "I keep some on me, you'd be smart to do the same. We can use this in dire situations. As for more, we'd better just hope we find a town or village fast."

Oboro stared into the sky, watching the sun move ever slowly into the sky, making a wide arch overhead. Her arm stretched out, pointing in the opposite direction of where Saizo went that morning, "Let's go in that direction."

"What makes you feel that, that is the right direction?" Saizo questioned, as though he had any idea of where any direction may lead them.

Oboro shrugged, at first uncertain of why she'd pointed in that direction, but after a moment she came to understand the workings of her mind. "The sun is rising from over there," she pointed ninety degrees to her right. "Which likely means it will set in that direction," she switched hands to point to her left. "You already walked the other direction and found nothing, and it would not be wise to walk directly against the sun as it either rises or sets. That leaves that direction."

Saizo thought on the matter, keeping all of his thoughts inside his head. She'd gotten used to it with all of the ninjas in the royal army, but Saizo was the worst about it. He only ever seemed to voice his opinions when he thought that you were wrong and that everyone ought to listen to him. Finally, he glanced back to the third in their party.

"We are going to walk this way, you may join us if you so please. If you attempt to attack us, you will not survive." Oboro wasn't sure if she was happy that he set up such boundaries or annoyed that they were even letting the man join them. It seemed though, that they had few options.

And thus, they began their long, slow journey.

* * *

"Well, this might be a problem," Cherche stood with one hand on her hip and the other resting against her chin. She stared down from above a small, lively town she'd come across. It looked pleasant enough, and she planned to visit it, in order to find out where exactly she was, but there was only one problem. She looked from the entrance of the town back to Minerva. "I don't think you'll fit."

The wyvern didn't look happy at the thought of not being beside Cherche. That wasn't to say she didn't often go searching for food or even flying through the sky without her partner, but waking in a foreign land with no sense of direction was off putting for both the human and the wyvern.

"Go hunt, I will be fine," Cherche said, resting her head against the wyvern's muzzle. She would go into the town, ask if they had seen Lon'qu, Chrom, or Cordelia. If not, she would return and they would begin their search together.

A screeching roar came from Minerva, worried about what might happen in the unknown town. Cherche simply lifted her axe, showing that she could easily protect herself, as Minerva must have already known. "Worry not, I'll be safe."

Only once the wyvern had flown off towards a range of mountains, possibly thick with goats and the like for a morning treat, did Cherche begin her trek down the hill and towards the town. She imagined how they would greet her; unsure of where she came from. She would have to explain to them how she got there, but then, she wasn't even quite sure on that answer. When she reached the border of the town, where the first buildings lined against the wild land around it, she could see no one. On the hill, she spotted a handful of people hurrying about the streets, but now there was no one in sight.

"Hello?" Cherche called, hoping that someone might spot her. It felt unusual entering without someone welcoming her in. When no one appeared, she decided she had no choice but to walk in farther.

Stalking down the street, her hand shifted on her axe, ensuring that she was prepared for any situation that was about to happen. As she neared the center of the town, she could see why no one was around when she entered. A large group of townspeople were standing around, forming a circle around something. The thought of her fell soldiers came to mind, and Cherche's speed picked up.

It was difficult to get through the crowd, as they were tightly packed together trying to see what was happening. Yet, she could hear two specific voices calling out at each other.

"What Nohrian workings was is this?" the first voice called, anger rising as it roared through the air. Cherche couldn't help but think that if Minerva were able to speak she may sound like such a person.

"Nohrian? We had nothing to do with this. In fact, I find it hard to believe that Hoshido had no hand with those portals found in the woods. Trying your hand at magic?" the second one questioned, just as fiercely.

Slipping to the front of the crowd, Cherche could now see the two men going at blows with one another. The first stood proudly in armor a vibrant crimson, with hair spilling out behind him. Cherche could feel the power of command spill off from him, demanding his presence be noticed. If nothing else, the sword in his hand did the talking. It was glowing a bright blue, threatening to strike down anyone who came in its way.

The second's armor was dark, black as the night, with cloth of rich blue and purple. He sat atop a horse, armor protecting the creature as well, not unlike Minerva. He held no sword or axe, instead a glowing tome was held in his hand.

The two weapons felt of ancient power, much in the same manner as Chrom's Falchion. She wondered if they too were princes, but she had never seen them before in all of her travels. Yet, they both stood with the pride of those from royalty, though perhaps not including he own once-was liege in the mix.

It seemed as though the two were sick of flinging words back and forth. They each raised their hands, preparing for an attack. It was then that Cherche decided to take action. Her axe slammed down against the ground, right in between the two. Both took a step back, too surprised by her to launch at her with heated words.

So, she took the time to make her own announcement. "I do not know you two warriors, but it does not seem as though the townspeople do either. Is it appropriate for the two of you to fight where these citizens may be injured from your actions?"

That seemed to get the twos attention, as they dropped their arms to their sides, putting their weapons down from offensive positions.

"Much better," Cherche said, a smile forming on her face. "Now, why don't we sit down and talk? Maybe with a steak and potatoes or rack of lamb?"

The townspeople were either too frightened to say no to the three strangers or were too intrigued to push them away. Regardless, Cherche found herself seated at a table with the two men beside her and plates full of food before them.

"I take it that you two know each other?" she asked, slicing through the slab of meat with a knife. She ate with some manners; though at times some said her eating mirrored that of Minerva's.

"I am Lord Ryoma of Hoshido," the first man in red said, spending most of his time staring down the other man instead of filling his stomach with food.

"My name is Prince Leo from Nohr," the other said, returning the look.

"Hoshido and Nohr, did you say?" Cherche could remember the stories that were told in the castle in Rosanne. That was back before it was conquered, a beauty that she one day wished to restore.

"Yes," Ryoma said, taking a spoon and beginning to eat a bowl of soup that the owner of the small tavern had brought out to them. "Hoshido and Nohr are our neighboring kingdoms. We have been at war with one another for a great many years."

"Oh, war. That's never enjoyable. My own homeland was destroyed in a war. My duke escaped, though perhaps not the best term. I joined him with my wyvern, Minerva. We now fight with the shepherds of Ylisse. By chance, did you two fall through an unusual glowing passageway?" Cherche asked, as her mind had been on the portal since waking in the foreign land.

For the first time since meeting the two, they seemed to take time to consider exactly how the portal transferred them, instead of blaming each other for the creation of said portal.

"Yes, there was a portal of some kind. I slipped," Ryoma stopped himself before he finished the sentence.

"I, too, traveled through a portal," Leo announced. "But how am I to know that you did not place the portal in the woods?"

Cherche raised her hand, stopping them from going right back to the fight that they were having when she first met them. "I doubt that's possible. After all, like you two, I traveled through a portal as well. Only, I was in Ylisse not Hoshido or Nohr. In fact, the only Hoshido and Nohr I have heard of is in tales told to children, two mythical kingdoms."

The two leaned away from her, as though she had just informed them that she was ill with the flu. For a second, they glanced at each other, as though they might actually come together against a one specific cause. Unfortunately, that cause happened to be Cherche. How was she going to deal with the two of them?

* * *

Why? Why now? Why had it appeared in the first place? Selena questioned the fate of the world as she paced back and forth. Ever since she'd first arrived in Nohr, with Odin and Laslow or rather Owain and Inigo, she thought they would have the chance to start over. It was the one thing that all three of them had agreed to: they couldn't possibly remain in Ylisse.

After the war ended, they had no future to go back to, but how could they continue to involve themselves in their parents' lives? Eventually they would be born, and that would be too much to handle. She was sick and tired of watching Cordelia follow Chrom around like a puppy dog, but she couldn't force her parents together. It would have only led to the chance of them never falling in love. So, she did the only thing she could think to do, run.

It'd been years since she was away, years since she traveled to Nohr and gained the trust of Lady Camilla. After all of that time, she never thought she'd find another one of those portal, if nothing else not one in the middle of the Woods of the Forlorn. However, there she was. And there her mother was.

She didn't remember what happened after she'd entered the portal. Couldn't place exactly what happened between following Elise and Leo in and waking up barely able to breath. The air was thin, and climate cold. Then, she saw the Pegasus. Even at first glance, she knew that it was her mother's. About an hour later, she found her mother. Her face practically blue from the cold, but with a fire going, she'd returned to a much more natural color of pink.

"Severa?"

How many years had it been since she'd heard that name? Even Odin and Laslow used her Nohrian name now. It felt so foreign to her ears, as though that was a completely different lifetime. As though that was not the girl she once was. The girl. In the last six years, she'd grown into a woman. She no longer relied so heavily on others, she could fight for herself, she would fight for herself.

Her mouth opened, words rushing forward from her throat. There was no time to plan out what to say, even after what felt like ages waiting for her mother to open her eyes. She had planned nothing of what to say. "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for hours for you to wake up!"

That wasn't exactly what she'd expected to come out, but now that it was, she folded her arms over her chest to show that they were exactly the words she'd planned for. She'd learned that lesson from being her mother's daughter. Even if she was not right, it was better to hold herself in confidence than allow for others to question her. Most of the time, they would give in. Knowing what Cordelia was like; they assumed that her daughter must be the same, namely right.

"I'm sorry," her mother looked hurt, as though it might have been her fault for not waking the second Selena had found her. "Where are we?"

That was the other thing that Selena hadn't thought much about since she'd arrived there. Upon finding her mother, her mind was on different subjects.

"How am I supposed to know that?" she asked, the same harsh tone she was so well known for.

"Is this where you have been hiding?" Cordelia asked, pulling herself up from where she was sleeping. Her hair was rumpled in a manner that Selena had only seen when she was a girl. Back when the fight was so tedious, so constant, that there was no time to worry about appearances. It was the side of her mother she cherished but hated to see. The side of the woman she would never see again.

"Hiding?" Selena asked, growing more defensive by the moment.

"You went missing weeks ago, is this where you've been?" Cordelia demanded, her voice growing stern. "You know, you left without a word. You had me frightened."

"Weeks?" Selena froze. She was beginning to understand. She'd traveled back to Nohr, lived there for years. But, for her mother's time, less than a month had passed since they'd left. It all made sense. She didn't like it.

"Why did you leave? All three notes said nothing about where to find you. Lissa and Olivia have been sick with fear about Owain and Inigo. Where are they? They're here with you, right?" the concern on Cordelia's face was beginning to nag at Selena.

Why didn't her mother get it? Couldn't she see the problem that it would cause? They couldn't have remained in Ylisse. It wouldn't have been right. She'd tucked away her feelings about leaving long ago, reminded herself daily that it would be a mistake to stay. And now, her mother was digging up those hidden feelings.

"Gawds, Mom. Can't you see that they aren't here? And I already said, I don't know where we are. I went through a portal and ended up here. You either did the same or we're somewhere in Ylisse." Selena said, backing away from her mother's touch.

"Portal? Now that you mention it, there was a portal. It was on the battlefield; those monsters were coming through it and attacking innocent civilians. So, we fought them back, and then Chrom," at the mention of his name Selena spat a groan of annoyance. It was always Chrom this and Chrom that with Cordelia. As if there was no room for her father.

"So, he still hasn't proposed?" Selena grumbled under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Of course knew who her father was, but that didn't mean she was going to tell her mother. Their love wouldn't be authentic if she played a hand in bringing them together. No, she would wait back and let them fall in love on their own accord. It was really what all of the children had decided before returning to the past, that they would not tempt fate unless to save their parents' lives.

"Well, if neither of us know where we are, we should look for some locals." Cordelia said, staring out towards the base of the mountain they found themselves on.

Selena had thought of doing the same thing before she ran across her mother's mount. After that, it didn't feel right leaving her mother there unconscious. Now, she was wondering if it would have been better to part ways with her mother before she woke. At least that way, she wouldn't have to deal with all of the questions she was sure were bound to be asked.

"Severa, I want you to know," Cordelia started. Selena was preparing herself to roll her eyes at whatever it was her mother had to say, but they were both caught off guard.

The cry echoed against the ground, bellowing out from somewhere on the mountain range. It was a sound that Selena was extremely familiar with, after years under Lady Camilla's rule. Without a doubt, that was a wyvern, and if it was not friendly they were likely in a dangerous situation.


	3. Together, Maybe?

Welcome to chapter three! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I got busy with school, and then every time I sat down to write chapter three I got a bit of writer's block. It took me a while to realize that it was because I didn't know where I was going with this story. When I did realize that, I sat down and figured out the rest of the general plot. So, now I know what route I'm taking wit this story. Which hopefully means more regular updates. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Reviews are always highly appreciated!

* * *

"Severa, slow down!" Cordelia hollered to her daughter, who was racing down the mountainside.

When the bellowing cry echoed through the range, Cordelia's first thought was to find shelter. It was dangerous to be out in the open on foreign land. It would be better to sit down and organize their thoughts and plans. Yet, her daughter went bolting down the side of the mountain without a second thought, and she had no choice but to follow.

It was clear few people walked around the mountain, no paths were formed, which made it difficult to get from place to place. Cordelia was not used to climbing up or down jagged trails.

"Severa! Severa!" her daughter had run ahead, slipping between the tree roots and rocks among the dirt. She'd lost sight of her seconds ago, and felt a prickling on the back of her neck. What was going on with that girl?

"Shhh!" a sharp voice shushed her from some yards ahead.

Stumbling and sliding the rest of the way down, she found her daughter crouching behind some bushes. Cordelia considered giving the girl a lecture, telling her not to run ahead when they didn't know where they were, but found herself silenced instead.

In the middle of the clearing, a wyvern with wings stretched to the sky, tore apart what must have been a goat but all that could be seen was the crimson flow of blood on patches of fur.

"Minerva," Severa said, her voice a whisper.

Looking closer, Cordelia recognized the wyvern. The armor that it wore resembled that which Cherche had recently repaired. Yet, she could tell that it was not the armor that brought the familiarity to her daughter.

"Cherche tried to stop Lon'qu from falling into the portal," she remembered what led up to her own descent into the strange doorway.

A breath of relief washed over Severa, as though she was fearful of something that wasn't the creature before them.

The wyvern finished its meal, rising on it hind legs and spreading out its rough, leathery wings in preparation for flight. For a moment, Cordelia thought of trying to speak with the creature, in hopes that it could lead them to Cherche. The thought, however, was fleeting. Unlike the pegasi that she and Sumia rode, it seemed that wyverns were slightly less on the friendly side.

In the instant the wyvern took flight, a gust of wind pushed back against Cordelia. She covered her face from the dirt and leaves rushing towards her. As she did so, Severa pulled herself up on a nearby tree. She disappeared from sight once more, scaling up towards the sky. Cordelia wondered if she was meant to follow, and what exactly her daughter's goals were.

After all of that time, she still understood little about the girl. When she'd first appeared before the shepherds, Cordelia couldn't believe that Severa was her daughter. In some ways, she didn't want to believe. Was it the girl's dislikeable attitude towards any and everything? Or was it simply the thought of giving up her own dreams? Was she no longer allowed to think on the leader of their army? She'd attempted to force the future out of her daughter, but she turned out to be more stubborn than expected. She said it was cheating to know without going through the motions.

There was a rustle in the tree before Severa dropped down to the ground. Her arm lifted as she pointed down towards the base of the mountain, "She went that way."

"We should hurry then, we can both ride on the back of my pegasus," Cordelia said, turning around towards the way that they'd come.

"No, we can't," Severa's voice was quieter than normal, her face turned down to the ground.

"What? You said you're not afraid of flying."

Since she'd met her daughter, she'd tried to get the girl on a pegasus, but each time Severa found one reason or another to avoid it. Despite her insistence that it had nothing to do with a fear of flying, Cordelia was beginning to feel that she had hit the nail on the head.

"Gawds Mom, will you stop bringing that up? It's not that. It's your pegasus. Her wing is broken." Severa didn't look up when she said this, keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

A rush of guilt and nerves poured through Cordelia's being. She hadn't even checked on her pegasus since waking up. Sure, it wasn't the first thing on her mind when she sat up to find her missing daughter in front of her, but it was her duty as a soldier and companion to the pegasus.

Now, it was her climbing up the uneven mountainside, hurrying towards her mount. When she reached the fire that Severa had made, she passed it by, walking straight at her steed. The winged horse backed away as she approached, seemingly cautious of all in the new foreign land.

"Don't worry girl, it's just me," Cordelia said, holding out her hand for the pegasus to see. "I just want to see your wing."

As the pegasus calmed down, allowing her to approach, Cordelia got a closer look at the wing her daughter was talking of. A thin bandage was wrapped around the bone, holding it in place.

"You bandaged her?" Cordelia asked, turning to Severa who was standing a few paces back.

"What do you think I don't know how?" Severa's voice was back to her typical hypercritical tone as usual.

"No, I just," Cordelia stopped herself. It would do neither of them good for her to admit that she didn't think Severa would be willing to help a pegasus, especially her pegasus. That was not to say she would not help those in need, but Cordelia had never seen her daughter approach any animal with a gentle hand. But that was not of importance. Now, they needed to support one another if they had any hope of survival, "Thank you, Severa."

* * *

What was going on with these creatures? Why were they coming after them? There were three in total stampeding towards Chrom. He'd fought worse, but it'd been so long since he'd fought by himself. It was equally thrilling and terrifying.

"She's counting on you," he reminded himself. Elise had a bit of a bite, something that reminded him of Lissa. That being said, she didn't seem like the type that should be on the battlefield, at least not to him. If he could have kept Lissa off it, then he would have. Then again, if Emmeryn had the ability to keep him away from the fighting, he was positive she would have as well. No one wanted war, but war found them all anyways.

As the boars reached him, he did not hesitate. Slashing his sword diagonally in front of him, his blade slid through the first creature's snout. It cried out in pain, rage growing as it began stomping its foot into the ground. He had no time to worry about it, as the other two were charging in on either side. In the last moment, before they would collide into him, Chrom jumped backwards, letting the two boars slam into each other. Their tusks interlocked, forcing them together.

With a closer examination of the creatures, they were larger than the ones he'd seen back in Ylisse. They came far above his waist with tusks the length of his arms. The hair on their backs was thick and covered in mud, and their hooves were worn down. It was as though they were foreign to the forest, where had they come from?

The first boar practically launched itself over the other two, rampaging towards Chrom. Thrusting his sword forward, Chrom embedded the blade in the mouth of the beast, using all of his weight to push back against the creature. He could feel the sharp tips of the tusks cutting into his arms, but he held strong. When the blade was almost completely within the mouth of the beast, he twisted it to the side. Instantly, the creature began dissolving, sending Chrom forward from the sudden lack of weight pushing against him. He caught himself before he hit the ground, back on his feet just as the other two disentangled themselves from each other.

He considered his surroundings, trying to come up with the best way to take out the last two creatures, but it was never his strong suit. While he liked to believe that he was a strong, well rounded exalt, he knew better than anyone that everyone had to have their faults. One of his was battle strategy. That was not to say, he would lead his shepherds in to a fight blindly, but he preferred working with a larger group to come up with their plan of action, one that they could all agree on.

As the two boars started towards him, he spun out of the way of the first one. With the second, he attempted to do as he had with the first boar he'd slain, but the problem was that he had no time to do so. Just when the blade started towards the second boar, the first pivoted around, charging back at him from behind. In order to escape the double-sided attack, Chrom rolled to his right, hitting his shoulder against the hard earth.

He'd hoped that the boars would have made the same mistake again, but unfortunately, they seemed to be learning. The one charging from behind turned at the last second before making contact with the other, and rammed directly into Chrom. He had barely enough time to lift Falchion's flat side to protect from a direct hit from the tusks. Being thrown onto his back, Chrom felt the air leave his lungs.

Before he could even think of moving, the boar was atop him. It was now that he saw the eyes of the creature, they were glowing a faint green. They were like nothing he'd ever seen before and, if he didn't move, would never see again. Pulling his right arm back, he drove the blade through the beast as hard as possible, until the blade jutted out the backside. As the beast dissolved, Chrom wanted to lie there. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes, but he knew that the fight wasn't over. The last boar was already preparing for a charge, and as Chrom sat up, he found that he might be too late.

The boar was digging up dirt each time it smashed its hooves against the forest bed. It was ready, and he was not. In attempt to do something, he lifted his sword in front of him. His heart was beating out of his chest; he could hear the coursing of his blood in his ears. All of that stopped him from noticing the other set of hooves clobbered against the ground.

"Go, go!" he heard as he whipped his head around. The princess was dashing towards him on horseback. With each movement, the horse picked up speed.

"No, Princess stop!" he attempted to holler, but she either didn't hear him or disregarded him.

Seconds later, the horse was leaping over Chrom, flying through the air. When its front feet slammed against the ground, it spun its back around. Bending its hind legs in, it shot them forward right at the boar's neck. With one strong blow, the boar was gone.

The moment they were safe, Elise bounded down from her horse's back with her staff in hand. Chrom watched as she rushed towards him, a look of concern shadowed over her face.

"Do you trust me now?" Chrom asked, a weak smile on his face. He tried to put her look of worry at ease.

"Oh, hush," she said, lifting her staff. He'd always been in awe of healers and magic users. He couldn't read the old tomes that were needed in such witchcraft, and he could barely bandage wounds let alone heal them with the snap of his fingers. It didn't take long for his cuts to disappear, and for him to feel at least as close to normal as possible in the middle of nowhere.

"You shouldn't have done that," Chrom said, only once he was back in fair health.

"And watched you die? I'm a troubadour, it would be against my nature," she said, helping him to his feet and back towards the fire.

While he felt mentally there, his feet were still slightly uneven, and he was grateful for her help. Once they were seated, she went back for her horse, tying it up against a tree as it was before the interruption.

"We can't remain out here very much longer," Chrom said, fearful that attacks such as the one they'd barely survived were rather common. Even with how well they handled the fight together, he couldn't chance more wild animals coming in a larger number.

"It looks like there are mountains that way," Elise said, pointing in one direction. "I can see them through the tree tops sometimes."

"But we don't know where this forest ends in any given direction," Chrom said, thinking about their situation and the best possible outcome.

"I could ride ahead, scout out the area," Elise offered.

"No, it's too dangerous."

"I can fight. I helped protect you, didn't I?" she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"That may be true, but could you have taken on all three by yourself? What if there are more than just three?" Chrom argued, watching as she unfolded her arms and looked disappointed. "No, we travel together from now on. The smartest way is to head for the mountains. At least we know that the forest does end that way."

He watched as the princess nodded her head, her expression seemed content. A look that he often found on Lissa's face, it showed of neither pleasure nor pain. It was an expression that he did not like to see on his sister's face. He wanted to see joy on her face, happiness for the times to come. He would fight until it was true.

* * *

How was he supposed to feel comfortable traveling with two strangers, one of which was a woman? Then again, while the thought of breaking away from them came to mind, they were in the middle of a barren desert with no end in sight. And thus, Lon'qu found himself walking beside the two that called themselves Saizo and Oboro. He walked a few paces behind them, which they didn't seem to care about. To someone not skilled in fighting, it might've seemed as though they trusted him, but Lon'qu knew better. They simply trusted their own skills enough to be able to stop him if he were to attempt to attack.

He had never met anyone like them, both untrusting yet willing to allow him to travel with them. In some ways, they reminded him of Frederick, a man who would do as his liege ordered, but keep an extra eye on those that might turn on them. In Ylisse, it was a relief to have Frederick around. Even with his own hesitations and distrust in others, he felt as though he could be at ease when Frederick was there, the shepherd could distrust anyone enough for everyone in their ranks, ten-fold. Only now, he was the one being watched.

They walked for what felt like hours, finding no promise of an end. With each step that they took, the same view could be seen. It was as though they were walking in one large circle. Yet, they were all trained soldiers, walking on as though it was their duty.

It wasn't until high noon that they found shelter under the shade of a few palm trees. Sitting down, Saizo passed around the canteen he had filled with water. When it was given to Lon'qu, he started down at the jug. He never trusted others, which pushed him to pass it on without drinking. But, being out in the middle of a desert, he knew better. Taking a short sip of the water, he closed the lid and passed it back to Saizo. The water was warm and tasted of the metal that it was sat in, but even just a drop brought relief to Lon'qu's body.

"We won't be able to go on like this for much longer," Oboro said, her face still distorted into a warped scowl. He didn't understand how she had no control over her face, but knew it was best not to comment on the fact. The last thing he needed was to be forced out, thrown into the desert alone.

And while he found the woman to be quite disagreeable, he couldn't help but nod in response. If they wanted to stay out wandering the desert, they would have to have access to water. If not, their bodies would give out before they could even begin to hope to find the end of the sand and a more solid ground.

"Then I will go ahead, scout farther," Saizo decided, already on his feet to go.

"That's illogical," Lon'qu answered. The other two gave him a look as though they were displeased that he even opened his mouth. "We should not walk until the sun is farther out of the sky. We can make hats out of the leaves of this tree, to keep the sun from our faces, anything that will keep the rays from our bodies. If not, we will run out of water by the end of the day."

Oboro looked as though she wanted to tell him to quiet, but Saizo took a moment to consider the idea. Finally, he turned to Oboro, "can you weave the leaves like he said?"

Her face seemed to grimace more than it already was, if that was possible, but she looked up at the tops of the trees anyways. "It shouldn't be difficult," she answered.

Without a second thought, Saizo took out a knife and was pulling himself towards the tops of the trees. What was going on with this guy? There were moments when he seemed extremely introspective, and then other times like this when he didn't even seem to think about the possible outcomes of his decisions. He sliced down handfuls of leaves, letting them fall to the ground where Oboro picked them up.

She gave him a glance, "Just because we're doing what you suggested doesn't mean that we are submitting to you."

And where was she getting her ideas? These two confused him beyond means, and he'd met some unusual people in his time. A prince willing to trust anyone that so much as said they believed in his cause. A woman who was constantly smiling, even when her wyvern was tearing someone to shreds. And yet, these two might have to be at the top of his list.

He decided not to answer her, watching as she began tying the pieces of greenery together. She worked well with her hands; she was fast-paced but certain of every bend and fold. It was the first time that he wondered what she was truly like with a weapon in her hands, and the first moment he hoped he would never see her wield a weapon against him.

* * *

"Now is not the time to fight with one another or with me," Cherche said, attempting to even over the looks that they were giving her. It was clear they thought she was insane. Even with their hatred for each other, they weren't claiming to be from an unknown foreign land. "The point is, that we're all here now. We should work together in finding the rest of our parties. That is assuming you did not travel here alone? And then, we can find a way to get home."

She had pushed the thought of Chrom, Cordelia, and Lon'qu to the back of her mind. There seemed to be a more pressing matter at hand with the two men attempting to murder each other in front of a town full of strangers. But now, she feared where they could have possibly landed in this world. In the middle of a swamp with vicious beasts attempting to eat them, or with more hostile strangers than the ones she happened upon, though she was beginning to doubt that was possible.

"It would be wisest to remain here," Ryoma said, "Saizo and Oboro will seek shelter in a town. If we can get messages to the next closest towns and cities, we have a chance of seeking contact with them."

The idea did come to mind; all of those from Ylisse would attempt to find safety in a town that seemed friendly enough. It was the general rule of the shepherds. If one person got lost from the rest of them, they were to find the closest town, so that the shepherds could trace their tracks and find them. It meant food and shelter for the lost member, and not wasting hours searching wild fields and forests for the rest of the party.

Yet, the idea didn't seem to sit well with the other royalty. Leo clenched his fists, leaning forward in his seat. "That might be easy for you to say, but my sister is out there somewhere by herself without any reasonable defense. I am going to go find her."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have let your sister fall through the portal?" Ryoma mumbled, barely audible but just enough to trigger Leo.

"What did you say?" He was up on his feet in a second, anger pouring out of him.

"All I know, is that I wouldn't let my sister fall through some portal," Ryoma said with a bit of a snarky nature to his tone.

"Stop!" Cherche said, lifting her axe. She was threatening to lower it right down the center of the table that they were sitting at. It seemed to be the only thing that got the two to quiet down. Using her best commanding voice, with a smile on her face, she announced, "We will go looking for the missing people. But! We will remain close to the town. Nights will be spent here, and days will be spent searching. The farther out we go, we can use Minerva to get us back easily."

"Minerva?" Ryoma asked.

"My wyvern," Cherche answered. "You two may be at war in your own kingdoms, but as I'm certain you have come to realize, we are not in those kingdoms. You _will_ get along here. We all have the same goal in mind, find our comrades and return home. Once you're home, you can go at each other's throats as much as you'd like."

Neither man seemed pleased with the idea, but Cherche didn't give them time to argue with her. Instead, she sat back down and continued eating the large slab of meat in front of her. Once she finished her meal, and only once every scrap was eaten, she rose from her seat once more.

"I will speak with the innkeeper about rooms. I expect you to behave while I'm gone," she said, feeling oddly like their mothers. "If not, your punishment will be playing with Minerva."

"What does that mean?" Leo seemed uneasy about the idea.

A grin spread across Cherche's face, "Well, if you would like to find out, you may start a fight. I wouldn't suggest it though. Minerva can be a bit," she stopped to think, "difficult when unhappy, and being in strange places without much food around makes her very unhappy."

She left the men at the table, making her way to the counter towards the front of the building. A man stood behind it, his face glowered as she approached.

"Good afternoon," she did her best to smile. Everyone she'd met so far seemed pleasant enough, even rather warm considering the fact that Ryoma and Leo attempted to kill each other in the middle of the town square, which would have likely destroyed their small piece of paradise.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice dull and rough.

"We would like three rooms for this evening."

He began muttering under his breath, words that she couldn't quite understand. He didn't move from his seat, staring at Cherche with an odd look.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Cherche followed up when he didn't seem like he was going to help her.

"You damn dirty swine, barging in on our town," he glared. "When is it going to stop? Every day someone new comes into town demanding room and food. Toting around like some royalty that you claim to be, breaking people's belongings and demanding the best of everything. Worthless pieces of-"

"Now dear," the woman, who'd brought them their food, cut into the conversation, resting a hand on the man's shoulder. "We would love to give you rooms. Three you said?"

Cherche nodded, but kept her eyes on the man. What was he talking about people coming through town acting like they were royalty? Well sure, Ryoma and Leo were in fact royalty and acted like it, even they didn't seem to disturb the town more than fighting one another. She was beginning to get a feeling that they weren't the only strangers the town had recently seen, and there was something in the old man's eyes that made her uneasy about that fact.


End file.
